“Commandments?”
Amusement lit Rhys’s eyes. “Gabrielle was taught several rules where the scrolls are concerned.”
Gabe raised a finger. “One, the Guardian who protects the scroll possesses its power. Two, the Guardian must keep his scroll hidden—”
“I think I know the basic tenets of being a Guardian,” Max said dryly. “I’ve had the job a few years.”
She shrugged. She couldn’t help it. She’d only come into hers last year. The other Guardians had had their scrolls forever. They’d learned the ins and outs of being a Guardian from a master, right at the source of it all in China.
What she did know was that the scrolls were
not
meant to be united, because it harbored way too much concentrated power. It was the reason they were separated inthe first place. “Doesn’t it bother anyone that four out of five Guardians are all in San Francisco right at this moment? Isn’t that frickin’ bizarre? It’s not supposed to be that way.”
Rhys lifted her hand and kissed the inside of her wrist. “Gabrielle is concerned about the fate of the world.”
Max grunted. “She should be. I’ve seen her in action.”
Rhys’s lips quirked, but to his credit he held his smile back.
“Sure, laugh it up, you two.” She wanted Max and Rhys to get over their animosity, just not at her expense. They hadn’t recaptured the closeness they’d once had, but at least they didn’t go for each other’s throats anymore. “When the world gets blown to bits, don’t look at me.”
“I don’t think the world is going to self-destruct.”
They all looked at Carrie.
Looking thoughtful, she ran a hand over the small mound of her belly. “If you guys weren’t supposed to be in the same space, Wei Lin would have made sure that couldn’t happen. He would have set those parameters when he stole the scrolls, found the five people worthy of protecting them from the rest of mankind’s misuse, and marked them.”
Gabe shook her head. “Maybe he trusted the Guardians to know to do that on their own.”
Carrie shook her head. “I don’t believe that. If it were so taboo, he would have done something about it. I should know. I stole his journal.”
Like any of them needed to be reminded of that. Carrie’s sudden bout of thievery resulted in all of them almost being outed as Guardians just a few months ago.They needed to keep their identities concealed for fear of being discovered, and having the world after their powers.
“I’ll look into it,” Carrie announced with her usual enthusiastic perkiness.
“No!” Gabe and Max exclaimed together.
Rhys addressed her calmly. “No need, darling. I’m sure among the three of us, we can suss out what this other Guardian wants.”
“What, you’re going to storm her house with swords and torches?” Carrie rolled her eyes. “In case you guys forgot, I’m a scholar. I’m an expert at research. Let me look into the potential hazards of having the Guardians amassed in one place.”
Max shook his head. “You—”
His wife covered his mouth with her hand. “I promise I won’t do anything crazy or put myself in any danger. I’m just going to do a little reading.”
“The last time you did a little reading, you almost got skewered by your thesis advisor,” Gabe pointed out.
Her best friend shot her an exasperated look. “Thanks for bringing that up. Like Max isn’t protective enough.”
“I’m willing to let Carrie do her research,” Rhys said. “As long as she doesn’t put herself in danger.”
“I won’t,” she promised. At Max’s snort, she squeezed his thigh. “I swear I won’t.”
Max leveled a look at Rhys. “You’ll check from your end.”
Rhys smiled, that killer shark smile Gabe had seen him flash just before he decimated one of his business opponents. “Of course.”
Gabe sat back, cuddling into his side. She didn’t feelsunny and light, but she did feel a little better for having the other three on it, too. Despite the
Amusement lit Rhys’s eyes. “Gabrielle was taught several rules where the scrolls are concerned.”
Gabe raised a finger. “One, the Guardian who protects the scroll possesses its power. Two, the Guardian must keep his scroll hidden—”
“I think I know the basic tenets of being a Guardian,” Max said dryly. “I’ve had the job a few years.”
She shrugged. She couldn’t help it. She’d only come into hers last year. The other Guardians had had their scrolls forever. They’d learned the ins and outs of being a Guardian from a master, right at the source of it all in China.
What she did know was that the scrolls were
not
meant to be united, because it harbored way too much concentrated power. It was the reason they were separated inthe first place. “Doesn’t it bother anyone that four out of five Guardians are all in San Francisco right at this moment? Isn’t that frickin’ bizarre? It’s not supposed to be that way.”
Rhys lifted her hand and kissed the inside of her wrist. “Gabrielle is concerned about the fate of the world.”
Max grunted. “She should be. I’ve seen her in action.”
Rhys’s lips quirked, but to his credit he held his smile back.
“Sure, laugh it up, you two.” She wanted Max and Rhys to get over their animosity, just not at her expense. They hadn’t recaptured the closeness they’d once had, but at least they didn’t go for each other’s throats anymore. “When the world gets blown to bits, don’t look at me.”
“I don’t think the world is going to self-destruct.”
They all looked at Carrie.
Looking thoughtful, she ran a hand over the small mound of her belly. “If you guys weren’t supposed to be in the same space, Wei Lin would have made sure that couldn’t happen. He would have set those parameters when he stole the scrolls, found the five people worthy of protecting them from the rest of mankind’s misuse, and marked them.”
Gabe shook her head. “Maybe he trusted the Guardians to know to do that on their own.”
Carrie shook her head. “I don’t believe that. If it were so taboo, he would have done something about it. I should know. I stole his journal.”
Like any of them needed to be reminded of that. Carrie’s sudden bout of thievery resulted in all of them almost being outed as Guardians just a few months ago.They needed to keep their identities concealed for fear of being discovered, and having the world after their powers.
“I’ll look into it,” Carrie announced with her usual enthusiastic perkiness.
“No!” Gabe and Max exclaimed together.
Rhys addressed her calmly. “No need, darling. I’m sure among the three of us, we can suss out what this other Guardian wants.”
“What, you’re going to storm her house with swords and torches?” Carrie rolled her eyes. “In case you guys forgot, I’m a scholar. I’m an expert at research. Let me look into the potential hazards of having the Guardians amassed in one place.”
Max shook his head. “You—”
His wife covered his mouth with her hand. “I promise I won’t do anything crazy or put myself in any danger. I’m just going to do a little reading.”
“The last time you did a little reading, you almost got skewered by your thesis advisor,” Gabe pointed out.
Her best friend shot her an exasperated look. “Thanks for bringing that up. Like Max isn’t protective enough.”
“I’m willing to let Carrie do her research,” Rhys said. “As long as she doesn’t put herself in danger.”
“I won’t,” she promised. At Max’s snort, she squeezed his thigh. “I swear I won’t.”
Max leveled a look at Rhys. “You’ll check from your end.”
Rhys smiled, that killer shark smile Gabe had seen him flash just before he decimated one of his business opponents. “Of course.”
Gabe sat back, cuddling into his side. She didn’t feelsunny and light, but she did feel a little better for having the other three on it, too. Despite the
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